I’ve been meaning to write about a conversation at a gun range that I had with another gentleman, and it got me thinking.
Are we carrying and training adequately for certain situations?
I sat with this man at a picnic table, on range. He was taking a smoke break. He began to tell me about his brother-in-law in Texas, who runs a small jewelry broking business there. From what I’m told the man (We will call him John for reference) had his wife in the car and had to run into his closed business to collect a few documents. Johns normal carry pistol was a Kel Tec PF9 (7+1), but that day he decided to throw a Glock 19 into his waistband, for some reason. I’d almost call it fate.
John was met by another gentlemen that had been scoping the business for a while, and when he returned to the car, he was met with a grapple from his attacker. Now; it could’ve been the fact that the thief thought there was a million dollars in his briefcase, or maybe he just wanted to hurt John... but for whatever reason, a fight ensued. The attacker drew a gun, and John went for cover behind an adjacent car, presumably to protect his wife. The attacker fired three or four shots, striking John in the right hand, hip, and a graze to his leg. John took cover while drawing his weapon with his wounded hand. The attacker advanced on John, and John returned fire. John firing 11 shots out of his 16 in an exchange of fire with his attacker. Somewhere between standing and firing and trying to avoid getting hit more, John dropped to his ass. The 10th or 11th round that John fired struck his attacker in the face/head (luckily).
The man on range told me that John was still recovering after multiple surgeries. His wife, in an adjacent car had been on the phone with police while the fight was playing out.
John has said that he knows if he was carrying just his Kel Tec (he had apparently said he didn’t carry a spare magazine) that he probably wouldn’t be alive today. And he’s projably correct.
This leads me to wonder: Are we carrying and training adequately for what we are going to need to accomplish? Should pocket pistols be a thing we purchase just as a back up, or a quick in-the-pocket concealment for when we’re just going up the street to the gas station?
I see a lot of close friends of mine leaving their guns at home, because the area they are going to, they frequent. This is assuming that because you are familiar with an area, nothing could ever happen there.
I want to advocate for always putting your pistol on your body, no matter how short the trip. I’d rather take the extra time to strap up with a tool that has the potential to save my life, than be cowering behind something, wishing I had it.
I also encourage people to take training inspirations from this, as I have. Off-handed shooting, racking your slide with only one hand, shooting from the back, shooting from the side, shooting from cover, malfunction clearing to get your weapon into battery and back into the fight, etc...
The man made a point to say: “Look at all these great shooters. Really nice groups and all. But what happens when the target shoots back?”...
Not telling anyone what to do, or undermining their training...
Food for thought.
Are we carrying and training adequately for certain situations?
I sat with this man at a picnic table, on range. He was taking a smoke break. He began to tell me about his brother-in-law in Texas, who runs a small jewelry broking business there. From what I’m told the man (We will call him John for reference) had his wife in the car and had to run into his closed business to collect a few documents. Johns normal carry pistol was a Kel Tec PF9 (7+1), but that day he decided to throw a Glock 19 into his waistband, for some reason. I’d almost call it fate.
John was met by another gentlemen that had been scoping the business for a while, and when he returned to the car, he was met with a grapple from his attacker. Now; it could’ve been the fact that the thief thought there was a million dollars in his briefcase, or maybe he just wanted to hurt John... but for whatever reason, a fight ensued. The attacker drew a gun, and John went for cover behind an adjacent car, presumably to protect his wife. The attacker fired three or four shots, striking John in the right hand, hip, and a graze to his leg. John took cover while drawing his weapon with his wounded hand. The attacker advanced on John, and John returned fire. John firing 11 shots out of his 16 in an exchange of fire with his attacker. Somewhere between standing and firing and trying to avoid getting hit more, John dropped to his ass. The 10th or 11th round that John fired struck his attacker in the face/head (luckily).
The man on range told me that John was still recovering after multiple surgeries. His wife, in an adjacent car had been on the phone with police while the fight was playing out.
John has said that he knows if he was carrying just his Kel Tec (he had apparently said he didn’t carry a spare magazine) that he probably wouldn’t be alive today. And he’s projably correct.
This leads me to wonder: Are we carrying and training adequately for what we are going to need to accomplish? Should pocket pistols be a thing we purchase just as a back up, or a quick in-the-pocket concealment for when we’re just going up the street to the gas station?
I see a lot of close friends of mine leaving their guns at home, because the area they are going to, they frequent. This is assuming that because you are familiar with an area, nothing could ever happen there.
I want to advocate for always putting your pistol on your body, no matter how short the trip. I’d rather take the extra time to strap up with a tool that has the potential to save my life, than be cowering behind something, wishing I had it.
I also encourage people to take training inspirations from this, as I have. Off-handed shooting, racking your slide with only one hand, shooting from the back, shooting from the side, shooting from cover, malfunction clearing to get your weapon into battery and back into the fight, etc...
The man made a point to say: “Look at all these great shooters. Really nice groups and all. But what happens when the target shoots back?”...
Not telling anyone what to do, or undermining their training...
Food for thought.